Pho: Your only choice really is Than Bros. Someone mentioned the one inside Crossroad Mall, but I've never tried. There's some chain outlets of Pho Hoa or Pho Tai around but they're generally pretty bad.

Ramen: Izumi. Skip Yoe's and Boom Noodle.

Din Tai Fung has good noodles. Even better than their flagship dumplings, I'd say. People also seem to like Wang's dumplings. Although I've tried their food there and it's horribly underseasoned - it's what Asians would love to eat when they have the flu (and that's not a compliment).

Do you mean Yang's Dumplings next to Wonton City? If so, I'd have to agree with you that their food is under-seasoned. It's a shame because they have such great texture on the wraps.

Also, my go-to Thai restaurant is Thai Kitchen in Overlake. They have excellent som tum and an insanely good appetizer they call garlic chicken wings. It really is so much more. Fried and then smothered in a spicy curry sauce, redolent with basil and chili. Those 2 things and some sticky rice and I'm in Thai Food Heaven..

For Pho, Than Bros (locations in Redmond and Bellevue) is of the better eastside choices. I've also been to Pho House, Pho Mignon, Pho Express, Pho Tai in Kirkland, and Square Lotus and some other place in Factoria and put them in the "it'll do" category out of location convenience, pretty much in the order noted. (There's also Pho Tai in Bellevue.)

Eastside ramen is sadly lacking. But I do like Yeo's as a convenient work lunch spot, and I think of it as a Chinese version of Japanese lunch.For Yeo's, I got a tip to skip the fish broth noodles, although I've gotten the dumplings in fish broth twice and really liked the broth.

Bai Tong so far has been the Thai eastside winner for me. Nappakao, King & I, Nibanna are ok. Gotta try Noodle Boat one of these days.

I go to Henry's Taiwan for beef noodle soup, it's a plain broth, dao shao (dough cut) noodles have good texture (sometimes stuck together), beef is tough. I probably didn't make it sound appetizing, but I like it enough to get it once in awhile.

Re: Henry's Taiwan - are they closed now? I went to Paldo World last night to buy something and they're either closing or remodeling.

Noodle Boat is leagues ahead of Bai Tong. They're not even on the same planet - but if you're not going out to the 'Quah, Bai Tong is pretty much the only other good one on the eastside. Pen Thai in downtown Bothell is somewhat decent in you're willing to venture a bit north (it's the sister restaurant of Chantanee in Bellevue, which evidently spends 95% on cocktails and food is an afterthought).

Stone BBQ in Redmond will probably have cold buckwheat noodles. Everything else they do is high quality, so I'm guessing it extrapolates to their noodles as well. Though it's probably better eaten in the summertime.

Not a fan of Yoh's. It's like one of many bad Chinese-run Japanese eateries that you would find in Richmond which use primarily prepackaged items.

What about Isarn Thai Soul Kitchen? It has some relation to Bai Tong, and it appears relatively stylized to match its Kirkland location. However, just from a glance, the menu is deeper than one might expect, especially as regards salads: http://www.isarnkitchen.com/menu/

The place has been open for about a year and this is the first I've heard of it. I'd give it a shot if in Kirkland.

Isarn is really good and seems quite authentic. I struggle at getting them to make anything truly spicy though (I'm a white guy so that's probably the issue.) Would like to take my Thai friend and see if that's different. The other Thai place I like in Kirkland is Tommy Thai out near the Costco. Absolutely NO problem getting food spicy there!

Thai has a lot of really nice options. King & I Thai in Bellevue, Royal Orchid in Renton, and Nibanna are kind of the best choices in that field. We tend to default to Royal Orchid, even though it's out of the way.